Mets' Ike Davis set to learn whether he'll need surgery

Doug Pensinger/Getty ImagesIke Davis has been out of the Mets' lineup for nearly five months thanks to a bone bruise in his ankle.

MIAMI — As Ike Davis walked toward the Sun Life Stadium diamond with his Mets teammates, a group he has been isolated from for nearly five months due to a bone bruise in his ankle, he was stopped by a new arrival.

Davis extended his hand to reliever Daniel Herrera, who joined the team this past weekend in a trade, and asked a favor.

A doctor’s visit back in New York later this week will provide the final diagnosis, but for now Davis felt comfortable back in his old element. He just needed his regular equipment.

“Do you have a glove I can borrow?” he said.

When Herrera, the 5-foot-6 screwball-thrower, handed one over, Davis thanked him and shrugged. “I thought they would have a glove for me when I got here,” he said before tonight’s 9-3 loss to the Florida Marlins, a game in which Chris Capuano melted down for six runs in four innings and his teammates snoozed through the rest of the proceedings.

Few expected Davis to still be experimenting with activity at this point in the season. Ever since that ill-fated night in Denver on May 10, when Davis rolled his ankle and developed a nagging bone bruise around the joint, the team has tried to decide on the proper method of treatment.

As late as two weeks ago, Davis believed he would need surgery and then muddle through the months of prescribed rest.

But late last month, after 2 1/2 weeks off, Davis made one last attempt at testing the ankle. He knew that if the pain and swelling returned, he would need surgery. But the discomfort has yet to return. After fielding groundballs, running full speed and taking batting practice, Davis reported that he hasn’t “had a lot of pain.”

The idea of surgery has not been permanently scuttled.

Even with Davis’ progress, assistant general manager John Ricco cautioned that the first baseman’s appointment in New York would be critical. “Certainly,” Ricco said, “the doctor’s going to be a big part of that decision.”

The Mets would prefer that Davis avoid surgery. That explains why the decision has been pushed back for so long. Microfracture is not a simple procedure.

“The thing was with that surgery, it might not have even worked,” Davis said. “So (it’s good) just to know that maybe a little more time and I’ll be back to normal, which would be awesome.”

So where does Davis go from here? He will engage in activity these next two games. There is the crucial meeting with the team doctors. If all goes well, he plans to take about six weeks off before resuming his normal schedule to prepare for spring training.

2011 felt like a breakout year for Davis. When he landed on the disabled list, he led the team in both home runs and on-base plus slugging percentage (.925).

His coaches understand he lost a year of development, but they believe he will receive enough at-bats in Port St. Lucie next spring to catch up.

“He’s not your average guy,” manager Terry Collins said.

But for this weekend, at least, Davis can rejoin his teammates and prepare for his future seasons as a Met. A future without any time spent on the operating table.

“The best thing was not to have surgery right now,” Davis said. “If it stays like this, I won’t have to.”